


and he belonged

by hanananabananana



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dadza, Dream is a bitch, Everyone Needs A Hug, Exiled TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Ghost Wilbur Soot, Ghostbur, How Do I Tag, Lots of it, Phil is a dad, Protective Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), THIS IS NOT A SHIP FIC YOU SICK FUKS, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit Friendship, Toby Smith | Tubbo Misses TommyInnit, Toby Smith | Tubbo Needs a Hug, Tommy is touchstarved, Tommy is very confused, TommyInnit Needs a Hug (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, but alot of angst too, i cant tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28445373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanananabananana/pseuds/hanananabananana
Summary: Tommy is allowed back in L'manbeg when he turns 18. Everyone thinks this is a good thing, but two years can do a lot to a person.
Relationships: Niki | Nihachu & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), No Romantic Relationship(s), Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF) & Everyone, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit
Comments: 24
Kudos: 755





	and he belonged

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo! So just a PSA this fic was started before most of the exile arc and a lot of things that happened then. So some characters and events ae a bit different then how the story played out. Hope you enjoy! ^_^

On his 18th birthday, Tommyinnit didn’t know how to feel. He had gotten used to living in exile and had built a home for himself. He knew he had changed drastically since he'd seen everyone else. He had Ghostbur but even then he still felt like he hadn't seen anyone in years. He hadn’t. 

Dream had come earlier that morning to tell him it was time. He could go home. What was home? Tommy had lost every home he had ever known. Did he consider L’manberg his home? He didn’t know anymore. Tommy didn’t know anything. He had started to forget what home looked like, hell, he was starting to forget what Tubbo looked like. 

He followed Dream and Ghostbur back to civilization. He didn’t have much trouble saying goodbye to logstedshire. He never considered it much of a home anyway. When the first glance of the Smp came into view Tommy felt a wave of something rush through him. An emotion he couldn’t place, and couldn’t explain. 

Dream left him at the outskirts with just the words “Have fun”. Fun. Yeah. Ghostbur immediately ran off to find all of his friends and left Tommy to slowly walk towards L’manberg. Tommy looked around at his former home, and now, his home. It looked pretty. Not much had changed since he had left but then again everything had. He wondered around just taking in the fact that he could be here again. He didn’t have to fear it anymore. So why did it still feel wrong? Why did he want to run? Where would he run, he didn’t know. He just didn’t want to be here. Yet here he fucking was. He sighed and continued to look around his new and old home.

He walked the prime path for the first time in 2 years. It felt weird but right. He went to his old home at the embassy. It had been untouched which made him happy. He smiled for the first time that day. He smiled for the first time in a while. The moment was quick and then his face was back to a black expression. He wandered around his house a little more before deciding to go back to look at L’manberg. 

It looked beautiful. Only a few changes had been made since he had left. The crater was barely visible now and it looked very peaceful. It’s how Tubbo had wanted it to look. Past Tommy would have smiled. Past Tommy would have been proud of the president. Maybe he is, but he didn’t know. He walked down to the entrance and slowly walked through. 

He hadn’t seen anyone yet and didn’t want to. He was better off alone anyway. He explored L’manberg and went around to every house looking up at the lanterns. Finally, he came to the caravan. He walked inside hesitantly. Inside was the same as it always looked. Nothing had changed, that brought Tommy comfort. Knowing that at least something stayed the same. 

He walked out of L’manberg and ran into Dream. “What do you think?” The green man asked. Tommy shrugged but didn’t say anything. “I told everyone not to approach you, so you could take it all in for yourself first. If you want you can see everyone again now.” Tommy just shrugged again. He didn’t really feel like talking, especially to Dream.

Dream gave him a confused look. “Well, everyone wants to see you. They are all here to see you!” When he said that people started showing up. Tommy was a bit overwhelmed, and the next thing he knew everyone in the server was standing around him. Well, most of the server. Techno and Phil were nowhere to be found. 

No one said anything for a long time. Surprisingly it was Tubbo who spoke up first. “Tommy?” The president asked in a hesitant voice. Tommy finally met his eye. The older of the two smiled. “It’s amazing to see you again Tommy. You don’t know how much I’ve missed you. I’m so so sorry, I know what I did probably made you hate me and I would understand if you want to stand here for like an hour and scream at me.” The president was genuinely ecstatic to see his friend again and even though he knew he would hate it, he just wanted to hear Tommy’s voice again. 

“Ok.” 

Tubbo’s smile dropped. That wasn’t Tommy, that was not the person that he remembered. “....ok? That’s it?” The boy didn’t respond. Tubbo took this time to really look at him. His clothes were torn and muddy. He looked like he hadn’t slept in ages and wore a blank expression. His eyes had lost all light in them, they were a dull gray, contrasting to the bright blue eyes Tubbo remembered. His hair was long and looked like it had been sloppily cut. Probably with a sword or axe.

Tubbo felt terrible. He didn’t think this would happen. He didn’t want this to happen.

Everyone else just stood and stared in shock. Probably thinking some of the same things he was. Tommy spoke up then.

“Can you move Mr. President? I would like to go back to my house now.” And without waiting for an answer, walked past Tubbo and away to his house. The smaller stood in shock, not able to move. What? What just happened? A single tear ran down his face. Then another. Then another. Suddenly he was on the ground sobbing with Fundy and Quackity by his side.  
\----------  
Tommy knew that was a low blow. He knew he shouldn’t have. But he did anyway. He walked back to his house and lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Tubbo looked different since the last time Tommy had seen him. He looked sadder and very stressed, and as much as Tommy disliked him at the moment, Tommy hated seeing him like that. Tommy wanted Tubbo to be happy because no matter what Tubbo did Tommy would still do anything to see his friends happy. His friend. After all this time Tommy still thought of him as a friend. Strangely, he didn’t want that to change. 

A little while later there was a soft knock on the door and it slowly swung open. Tommy didn’t turn to see who it was, but he had a guess. The door closed behind the person so it was just the two of them. The silence gripped the two figures in the room. Tommy refused to be the first one to speak up. 

Tubbo stood looking at his best fri- He stopped himself. The last time he saw Tommy, the younger had referred to him as a friend; and Tubbo didn’t respond. He didn’t want to lose his friend but looking at him now, clothes and hair a mess with giant bags under full eyes, he was scared he already had. 

Tubbo didn’t want to feel responsible for what had happened to Tommy. He had done what was best for his nation. Right? He had made the right choice! L’manberg hadn’t been involved in any war or conflict since the exile. So it worked, right? It was around a year ago and a year into Tommy’s exile that Tubbo had realized. He realized that, even though he did make the best decision for his nation, he didn’t make the best decision for himself. Or Tommy. 

He had thrown himself into his work and stopped caring about himself. If it weren't for Fundy and Quackity, he still would be. Not that he still had the bad habit of disregarding himself, it was just better than before. 

Tubbo needed Tommy and Tommy needed Tubbo. The two of them were each other's lifeline, and they had been apart for way too long. Which is why as soon as Tommy lifted his head up after about 5 minutes of silence, Tubbo felt the urge to run to his best friend and finally hug him again. Now wasn't the time for that though.

Tommy sat up on the bed and leaned up against the wall behind him, staring at Tubbo with dead eyes. Tubbo stared back with tired eyes. They held this little staring match and maybe, in another world, the two of them would have laughed. 

Tubbo spoke up first unsurprisingly. “Tommy,” his voice broke at the end and he found it hard to continue. “Tommy, I think we need to talk.” 

Dead eyes seemed to pierce through his words and through his mind. Dead eyes that have seen way too much. “Pardon my voice,” Tommy spoke up quietly. Said voice was raspy and unused, it made sense though. The only people he could talk to were himself and Ghostbur. Tommy saying pardon? The boy continued, “but what are you doing here Mr. President? Don’t you have a country to run?” 

Tubbo flinched. ‘Mr. President’ was not something he liked to be called. It reminded him of Schlatt. 

Tommy stared on with a blank expression. Tubbo had noticed that his expression never changed. It had stayed the same dull stare and blank features. Tubbo wondered the last time that expression had fully changed. He wanted to make the younger smile again. Tubbo missed his smile, his laugh, his strange sense of humor, the way he would mess his hair up by running a hand through it (something he picked up from Wilbur), his strange sleep pattern, and the many times Tubbo would wake up to see Tommy wandering around L’manberg. Tubbo missed the brightness in his eyes whenever someone would crack a joke, or standing beside him as he messed with another member of the smp. Tubbo missed it all. 

He shook the thoughts from his head and stared back at the boy. “Please don’t call me that. I know you're extremely pissed at me, but please don’t call me that.” 

“You don’t want to be called that?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Tommy-“

“I thought you would take pride in the title. You know, since L’manberg is the thing you care about the most?” 

The words hit him like a bullet to the chest. (and Tubbo knew how that felt) Is that what Tommy thought? The more Tubbo thought about it the more it made sense that Tommy would think that. Tubbo felt horrible. 

“Tommy-“

He didn’t know what to say. God knows he probably wouldn’t say the right thing.

“Yes?”

“You know-“ Tubbo sighed. He had to get the words out somehow. “You know that’s not true.”

“Do I? I don’t really know much right now. I don’t really remember.” The boy let out a harsh laugh. “I remember you caring about that country more than anything else. Ever. Right?”

No. No, you're wrong but how do I tell you? How can I make it up to you?

“No- No Tommy. I- That’s-“

He couldn’t get the words out. He didn’t know how. 

“Then what do you care about? What matters to you?” I certainly don’t. (but those words were not spoken)

“Tommy,”

“What could you possibly care about more than your country? You're the president, that place is your home. I’m sure you love it and the freedom so much more than anything else. I mean i-“

“YOU.”

Both boys went quiet. Tubbo didn’t mean to scream. It just kinda came out. 

Tommy scoffed. “Yeah right. Me. Why would that even make sens-“ Tubbo cut him off and decided to just stop thinking and let the words spill. 

“It’s always been you Tommyinnit. FUCK LMANBERG ITS YOU. Tommy, you have been with me since the beginning. We wouldn’t even have a L’manberg without you. I and so many others wouldn’t have been free if it wasn’t for you. Hell, we would probably still be under Schlatts rule if it wasn’t for you.” Tubbo kept screaming, letting the words he’s wanted to say for two years now finally spill out. 

“The worst decision I have ever made was betraying you. Tommy, you are my best friend and I know you don’t think the same about me anymore, but I do. I tried to find you. Over and over I left the smp to try and search and find you. I even went to Technoblade at one point. Though he wasn’t much help.”

Tubbo wasn’t going to tell him that he did this in secret under the cover of night. Without sleep. Tommy didn’t need to know that.

“I thought that if I found you we could still talk. I never wanted to lose you completely. I didn’t think Dream would go that far.” Tubbo looked down at the floor. “I wanted to step down as president, you know? I don’t want to be in power anymore. It’s a corrupt position and not something I can handle. The election next month I'm stepping down. I’m done with it.” 

It was silent for a while till Tubbo spoke up again.

“I got your other disc back by the way. It was a bit difficult but I needed it. For when you came back because I know you care about them more than anything else. So I wanted to make sure they were safe.” Tubbo walked to the ender chest in the corner of Tommy’s house and brought out two discs. Tommy stared at them with a blank expression. The purple and green discs had an aura of importance. 

Over his exile, Tommy had a lot of time to think. He had time to think about the discs, Tubbo, L’manberg, Dream. Tommy had realized, with the help of Ghostbur, the most important thing to him. 

Tommy stood up and walked over to where Tubbo was. He took the discs from the boys' hands and inspected them. His eyes lit up at the sight of them and he brought them close to his chest. 

Then promptly threw them across the room. 

Tubbo jumped at the sudden action and looked at the boy in confusion. Tommy had just thrown and possibly damaged the one thing he cares about. 

Tommy looked down at the boy. They were both crying. Neither acknowledged the fact. Tommy shook his head. He met the older shocked and confused face. 

Tommyinnit was touch starved. That was the easiest way to put it. Ghost hugs aren't really the same as real hugs. So when, against his will, he threw his arms around the shorter, he blamed it on impulse. Then he couldn’t let go. He tried to pull away, thinking he was the last person the older wanted to hug, but he couldn’t. He finally got to hug someone again. He finally got to hug his best friend again. 

Tubbo stood in shock for a minute before slowly wrapping his arms around the taller. This was not what he was expecting from the other, but he wasn’t complaining. He tightened the hug. He would think about L’manberg, Dream, the election, and his very rocky friendship with Tommy later. Right now, he just needed a hug. He needed a Tommy hug. 

The two of them stood there hugging for a very long time. Heads buried in each other's shirts, just balling their eyes out. They would decide whether they hated each other later. Right now they just needed the touch and they needed the comfort. 

The two stood there for longer and probably would have stood there forever if there wasn’t a knock on the door. 

“Hello? Everything alright in there?” The voice of a familiar green man floated through the door. Tubbo grimaced and Tommy noticed. 

“Everything’s alright,” Tommy called back. Tightening his arms around the smaller. “We just need to talk a little bit.” Though L’manberg and the smp were now peaceful and had an agreement, Tubbo still feared the man. He wanted to blame him for everything that had happened. Even though not all of it was his fault. 

“Umm ok. Well, I'll leave you two to it. Everyone else wants to see you, though, Tommy so when you're ready come on out.” It was Tommy’s turn to flinch. He couldn’t handle seeing Tubbo alone. How was he supposed to handle the whole server? Tubbo gripped him tighter, mirroring what Tommy had just done. 

This brought Tommy comfort, knowing that he could finally have someone there. He hadn’t felt that in a long time. Tommy heard the footsteps walk away from the house and he felt just a bit safer. 

Tubbo led him over to sit on the edge of the bed next to each other. Tubbo turns his body to face the younger. He watches as Tommy stares blankly at the opposite wall. He watches as a tear rolls down his face. No one pays it any mind. 

Tommy tugs at something around his neck and Tubbo watches softly as he pulls an item from out of his shirt, wearing it as a necklace. Tommy doesn't seem to realize he’s doing this, Tubbo notices. His eyes are still blank and staring. When Tubbo notices what the item is, he chokes on a breath. Tommy is wearing a compass around his neck. It’s identical to the one Ghostbur gave Tubbo. 

The shorter watches as the boy fiddles with it and holds it tight, like a lifeline. Tubbo smiles sadly. He taps Tommy’s shoulder and the boy snaps out of his daze. Tubbo reaches around his neck and pulls out an identical-looking compass. The two compasses are freaking out now that the destination is so close. 

Tommy looks surprised, “You kept yours?” Tubbo's eyes widened, “Why wouldn’t I?” Tommy shrugged. “Thought you wouldn’t care. Dream said you didn’t.” He shrugged like he hadn’t just said the most angering thing in the world. 

“Tommy I have kept this compass with me since Ghostbur gave it to me years ago. I don’t think it’s come off my neck.” Tommy looked stunned. He gripped the object around his neck till just knuckles turned white. “I don’t know what Dream was on about, I've missed you so much. L’manberg’s kinda dull without you around.” 

Tommy let a tiny smile slip. “Thank you Tubbo.” His hand was still clenching the compass to the point where it must hurt. Tubbo put his hand over the others, clamped around the one thing that gave him comfort. “It’s ok now, you know? I’m not sending you back and I'm not letting you leave again. Got it?” Tommy nodded curtly. 

His hand slowly relaxed on the compass and went to grip the other's hand. It was a thing they used to always do when they were younger. Holding hands as a comfort. It was never a romantic or ‘coming on’ gesture, it was a comfort thing. Just to let the two of them know that they were there. 

Tubbo didn’t wait any longer to throw his arms around the taller again. Tommy didn’t flinch and knew it was coming, wrapping his arms around the other as well. More tears fell from both sides. After another few minutes, they pulled away. 

“Tubbo?” The voice came out soft and unlike Tubbo had ever heard, but that was how Tommy was acting. “Yea Tommy?”

“I want to go see the others, but-“ He cut himself off. 

“But what? Is everything alright?”

Tommy sighed and seemed to contemplate his next words. “Does everyone hate me?” He finally asked. Tubbo sat stunned. “What?” Tommy looked at the floor. “Does everyone hate me now?” 

Tubbo flinched slightly at the sad tone Tommy was using. “No, of course not! We all miss you so much, Tommy. You know,” Tubbo decided to just say it. He had expressed this thought with the others on the server. They had agreed. 

“When I exiled you,” Tubbo continued softly. “I thought I was doing the best for the nation and if you want to look at it some way, I did. What I didn’t think about, though, was how much you did for the nation in your own way. Everything has been so bland here without you Tommy. Everyone agrees with me as well. You gave the nation character, you gave us character. In your own way, you kept everyone here laughing and on their toes. We all miss that.” 

He turned back around to face the boy. “Tommy you're like a little brother to everyone here. We all miss you.” Tubbo almost started balling again at the look on Tommy’s face. He looked shocked and in awe. Tubbo nodded as if to confirm everything he had just said.

Tommy sighed. “Ok,” he paused and took a deep breath. “Let’s go see everyone.” 

Tubbo grinned and stood up, pulling Tommy with him. Tommy tripped a bit but followed Tubbo to the door. 

As much as Tommy wanted to hate the other. As much as he wanted to scream and ask why he would ever do what he did, he didn’t. He knew that it wasn’t worth it and, by the looks of things, Tubbo actually felt bad. 

He stopped at the door to wipe his face of tears. Though they were still pretty visible on both faces. When Tubbo put a hand on the doorknob Tommy tensed up again. It’s not that he was scared of people, but the only face he’s seen since exile has been Ghostbur. With the occasional letter trading with Ranboo. He was just not used to seeing so many people again. 

Tubbo picked up on this and grabbed the other hand. With a smile and a comforting and confident squeeze of the hand, Tubbo opened the door. 

Upon seeing everyone there and staring at him Tommy started to panic. Tubbo gripped his hand tighter and put a hand on his shoulder. “If you don’t want to, you don’t have to yet.” Tommy knew that was pointless. He had to do this whether he liked it or not.

Ignoring every part of him that screamed to run back inside, Tommy took a step out the door. Everyone looked a little different than he remembered; he guesses it just from not seeing them for two years. Not surprisingly, it was Niki that stepped forward first. The two of them have always been closer than they appeared. They had each other after Wilbur's death and would sit with one another when they were panicked or sad. 

Tubbo squeezed his hand and then slowly let go. An invitation to walk up to the girl. What no one was expecting, though, was for the boy to fling himself into her arms. The two almost fell over from the weight but Niki kept them up, hugging her pretty much younger brother. Tommy hated that he was this touch starved. He wanted to yell and scream about how they all had left him and how he hated them, but he couldn't. Not now. Maybe later, but not now. He missed them too much.

The hug lasted a bit before Fundy put a hand on the boy's shoulder. Tommy looked up, a bit teary-eyed, to see the fox with a look on his face. Asking if he could join the hug. Tommy nodded and Fundy didn't wait a second before throwing himself at the pair as well. 

Soon after, Quacity was there with a hand on his shoulder and the same look on his face. Tommy nodded again and then there were three. Then four when Fundy and Quackity grabbed Tubbo and pulled him in. Eret was next, and even though Tommy still didn't trust him fully, he let it happen. More and more people began to pile themselves into the hug. There were some tears and some laughs and a lot of homesickness. God did Tommy miss this. At some point during this, Ghostbur had shown up as well. 

Tommy felt warm. He hadn't felt truly warm in a very long time. He hated being cold and had even thought about jumping into the hot lava in the Nether, just to feel warm again. This was a different warm than that and, he decided, he liked this warm just a bit more. The warmth that came from being surrounded by people and comfort and happiness. Yeah, Tommy thought, I'll get mad later. 

He didn't know how long they had all stood there but they broke apart when they heard a noise. “Tommy?!” The voice was panicky and scared, and Tommy recognized it immediately. The big group hug separated so Tommy could see the panicked face of Philza Minecraft running to them. Phil saw Tommy and relaxed a little bit, but still had a look in his eyes that screamed panic. “Phil?” Tommy called out. The man ran closer and half shoved Big Q out of the way to throw his arms around the boy. Tommy was very confused. Why was Phil this worried? He had every opportunity to come visit him over exile and hadn't. He should have come and visited him if he was this worried. Before he could ask any questions though, Technoblade came into view riding on his horse, Carl. He didn’t stop until he reached the group and then half flew off the horse.

Phil barely had any time to move out of the way before Techno, the man who's known for never showing emotions or really caring about anything but chaos, threw himself at the boy. Tommy, for the third time that day, almost fell over. Tommy, for the too many-ith time that day, was very confused. “Techno, wha-” Tommy couldn't get a word out. He was just so confused. 

Phil wrapped his arms around both the boys and his wings followed. Creating a safe barrier around the three. “Guys, what's going on? Wha- why?” Tommy really didn’t know what to say. There were so many things wrong with what was happening and he just couldn't process it. “I’m so glad you're alive and I'm so so sorry I never came to see you” Phil whispered so only the three could hear. Techno nodded, agreeing with the statement. 

“Then why didn’t you?” Tommy asked in the same tone that Phil used. “If you really were sorry then why did you never come to fucking see me?!” Tommy choked up and almost started balling again. Techno sighed and Phil hugged them tighter. “We wanted to,” Phil spoke for the both of them. “We tried day after day to find you but we couldn’t. Then one day, Dream found us looking and told us-” Phil choked up as well, a couple of tears falling. “Dream told us to stop looking for you because if we found you or interacted with you, he would-” Phil choked on tears again and struggled to finish the sentence. 

Techno did it for him. “He said if we found you, spoke to you, tried to communicate with you, or do any of the sorts, he would kill you.” The words rang through Tommy's head. Tommy looked to Phil and he nodded. Confirming what Techno had said. “I was so scared that I was going to come here today to find that you didn’t show up, or that something had happened to you, or-” Techno hugged the man tighter. “He's ok. It's all ok.” Techno hated seeing Phil like this and he hated remembering the number of times he had to sit with the man while he cried. Whether it was about Tommy or Wilbur, he cried. 

“I’m alright Dad, I’m ok.” The whisper was barely heard but it was there. Tommy sort of understood now. He couldn’t really forgive that quickly, but he understood. 

The three stood there for a while. Noone was really ready to let go. Finally, Techno pulled away when he heard someone walk up to the group of people standing there awkwardly while the three had a family moment. 

Dream walked up to the three and Techno had to resist stabbing him right then and there. The green man smiled, “aww family reunions are always so sweet”. Techno launched himself at the man attempting to hurt him in any way possible. Phil grabbed his arm before he could get very far. “Now now,” he whispered. “Later.” Techno glared at the man but then relaxed. Later would have to work for him. 

“What do you want Dream?” Tommy asked hesitantly. “Oh nothing much, I just wanted to check on how things were going.” Phil had to restrain himself as well. “It's always so nice to see everyone happy and together again.” Dreams smile was taunting and brutal. Tommy hated it. 

“I hope you know that-” 

“Dream.” The green man was cut off by a sharp voice. He turned around to see Tubbo standing there. “I would advise you to give them some time and a bit of space.” His words were laced with venom. The kind of venom that Tommy had only heard come from Tubbo once or twice. He smiled sweetly but the look in his eyes shattered that. 

Dream raised his hands in mock surrender and walked away. Knowing that if a fight broke out there he would most likely lose. 

“Thanks, Tubbo.” Phil smiled. “No problem guys, just helping out.” Tommy smiled. He really smiled. He smiled like he hadn’t in a really long time. He was surrounded by his family, looking at his friends, and back home where, he decided, he belonged.


End file.
